6 Ways to Rock that Interview

I often see candidates making big mistakes during interviews, so here are my tips on how to rock that interview.

1. Dress to Impress

The first impression is extremely important and their first glance at you will be your appearance, so make sure to look your best. Dress according to the job you’re trying out for. If you’re not sure how to dress, you can always ask or go with business attire, because being overdressed won’t hurt you. Try to wear something nice, but also with a pop of color or an interesting pattern. It will help to make you stand out a bit more.

2. Be Timely

Again first impressions are extremely important, so don’t be late. Being late is a huge red flag, showing them that you’re not timely, reliable, or organized. Always research how you will get to the interview, so you can show up at least 10–15 minutes early. This gives you time to breathe and look over the job description one more time before you walk into the interview.

3. Confidence and Body Language

This was one of the biggest mistakes most candidates made. They weren’t aware of the physical body language that they were giving off. Clearly some people were nervous and it showed, but at times it also came off as being distant or uninterested. The same can be said about people who came in too confident. They’re body language was too passive and relaxed, so it seemed like they didn’t have a real interest in the position. Always be aware of your body language.

4. Speak with the Job Description in Mind

If I could only give one tip, it would be this one. Always speak and answer questions with the job description in mind. When they ask you, “tell me a bit about yourself”, or “tell me a bit about your work experience”, they’re asking you to explain how well you match the job description.

Talk about jobs and experiences that directly link you back to one of the tasks or requirements on the job description. The more you can do this the better you will look as a candidate for the position. SO many people end up talking about things not relevant to the job, and it adds no value to you as a candidate. Don’t talk about just yourself and your work experience, talk only about yourself with respect to the job description. Look at the key words on the job description and use them during the interview.

5. Be Friendly

Candidates all understand the interview is meant to determine whether or not they are a good fit for the job, but they forget it’s also to see if they will be a good fit for the company and the company culture. This is very important, and is highly overlooked by candidates. Go out of your way to be friendly and smile. Candidates end up taking the interview too seriously, which makes them seem like a bad cultural fit, because they don’t seem likable. Just simply smiling more during your interview will greatly make you stand out as a candidate.

6. Ask Real Questions

At the end always ask questions. It’s going to look like you either didn’t prepare or you don’t care about the job if you don’t ask questions. Ask real questions about the job that you would want to know. Like what is the company culture like, what does a day in that position look like, what are some of the tougher aspects of the job. These types of questions show that you’re really interested in the position and that you want to know more. Remember that the interview is two ways, you are also interviewing the company to see if this job is really what you want. You might find out some surprising things if you ask the right questions.